Body supporting furniture of the polygonal tension type



3,123,395 BODY SUPPORTING FURNITURE OF THE POLYGONAL TENSION TYPE H. P.GLASS March 3, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 19 1 H. P. GLASSMarch :3, 1964 BODY SUPPORTING FURNITURE OF THE POLYGONAL TENSION TYPEFiled Sept. 26. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.6.

FIG.8.

INVENTOR. HENRY P. GLASS United States Patent 3,123,395 BODY SUPPORTINGFURNITURE OF THE POLYGONAL TENSION TYPE Henry P. Glass, 666 Lake ShoreDrive, Chicago 1, Ill. Filed Sept. 26, 1961, Ser. No. 140,939 8 Claims.(Cl. 29716) This invention relates to furniture and more particularly tobody supporting foldable furniture wherein flexible members are arrangedalong the periphery of the furniture to form a polygonal tension typestructure.

There has been developed heretofore a wide variety of body supportingfoldable furniture, but in many Ways these prior art structures havebeen unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. Many of them are fabricatedwith a plurality of supporting elements which are connected together atseveral pivots, which results in complex structures that are diflicultto fold and unfold. Others have the disadvantage that when folded forstorage the folded package is not sufficiently regular in shape andcompact to store easily. In other devices the construction requires theuse of bulky support elements to sustain the load and employs pins forsliding in slots formed in other elements, which unduly complicatestheir manufacture.

The body supporting furniture claimed herein utilizes entirely differentprinciples of construction from the known structures and theseprinciples have extensive application in furniture construction toprovide a polygonal tension type structure. In this disclosure polygonis intended to mean a figure having many sides and angles. All membersor parts of the disclosed structure are subjected to tension and/ orpressure only. None are intended to carry a bending moment. This lendsitself to graceful and economical dimensioning. The claimed structureuses a flexible means following its periphery which is detachablysecured, for example, at one point to the frame for erecting thestructure and upon release therefrom permits collapse of the structure.

In accordance with the invention claimed new and improved bodysupporting furniture of the polygonal type is provided comprising acollapsible supporting frame. The frame is set forth as comprising aplurality of pivotally mounted frame members movable to extendedposition to form the corners of a polygon. The members are fulcrumedwithin the periphery of the polygon. Flexible means are provided forinterconnecting the corners of the frame members along the periphery ofthe polygon to hold the frame in a tension type arrangement.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide new andimproved body supporting furniture.

Another object of this invention is to provide new and improved bodysupporting furniture in which the parts are subjected to tension andpressure.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved bodysupporting structure of the polygonal tension type.

A'still further object of this'invention is to provide new.

and improved body supporting structures in which flexible means aroundthe periphery. of the structures are used to erect, hold erect and causecollapse of the structures.

A still further object of this invention is to provide new and improvedpolygonal tension type structures which can be readily folded intocompact assemblies substantially of the thickness of theindividualstructural elements for shipping and storage.

Objects and advantages other than those set forth will be apparent fromthe following description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a body supporting chair structureemploying U-shaped frame members in erected position and embodying theinvention;

3,123,395 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 FIG. 2 is a partial top view of thestructure shown in FIG. 1 in collapsed position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modification of the structure shown inFIG. 1 and employing T-shaped frame members;

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the structure shown in FIG. 3 in acollapsed position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lounge structure embodyin g theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the structure shown in FIG. 5 incollapsed position;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cot structure embodying the invention;and

FIG. 8 is a partial top view of the structure shown in FIG. 7 incollapsed position.

Referring more particularly to the drawings by characters of referencewherein similar parts in the several figures of the drawings areprovided with identical reference characters, FIGS. 1 and 2 disclose acollapsible polygonal tension type body supporting chair structure 10.Chair structure 10 comprises a frame having a plurality of supportingmembers of any desirable shape which are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as, forexample, U-shaped members 12, 13, 14 and 15. Members 12, 13, 14 and 15have their legs 12a, 13a, 14a and 15a pivotally mounted on a common pin16 and their legs 12b, 13b, 14b and 15b pivotally mounted on a commonpin 17. Each of the U-shaped members 12 through 15 are progressivelysmaller in size, as shown in FIG. 2, so that they can be arranged flatin the same plane when the chair structure is collapsed. When theU-shaped members are moved to the chair extended position shown in FIG.1 the fulcrum point of the U-shaped members, i.e. pins 16 and 17, arearranged within the periphery of the edges of the polygon formed by thebights 12c, 13c, 14c and 15c of the U-shaped members 12, 13, 14 and 15.I

The U-shaped frame members are held together and are arranged to beexpanded to a given position by tension members such as the continuousrings or straps 18 and 19 formed by tension portions 18a, 18b, 18c and18d and 19a, 19b, 19c and 19d. Portions 18a and 19a are arranged betweenand fastened to the bights 14c and of U shaped members 14 and 15,portions 18b and 1% are arranged between and fastened to the bights 13cand 140, portions and are arranged between and fastened between thebights 12c and 130, and portions 18d and 19d are arranged between andfastened to bights 12c and 15c. The straps 18 and 19 may be formed outof suitable strap, string, cord or fabriomaterial either in a continuousring fastened to the bights of the U-shaped members at suitable placesor of individual and separate parts which together form the ring orstrap. Straps 18 and 19 are arranged to extend around dilferent ends ofthe frame structure and around the periphery of the polygon structureformed thereby. Strap portions 18d and 19d are detachably connected tothe bight 15c of U-shaped member 15 and are provided with clamping means20 and 21 at the ends thereof to facilitate this connection.

A flexible body supporting means such as, for example, a canvas 22 formsthe seat and back rest of the chair and is suspended between bights 12cand 130. At the point between the back and seat portions of canvas 22 isarranged a cord or rod 23 extending transversely across canvas 22 whichis fastened to pins 16 and 17 by suitable flexible means such as cords24 for forming the seat back structure. i

In accordance with the invention disclosed a continuous ring of tensionmembers 18 and 19 is provided around the periphery of the polygonal typechair structure. These rings are fastened at or near the periphery ofthe edges of the polygon. The positions of the edges of the corners ofthe polygon are determined by the length of the flexible ring portionsbetween the various bights of the U-shaped members. The bracessupporting the body supporting canvas 22 are the legs of the U-shapedmembers and the ends of these legs are joined together in two axiallyaligned fulcrums as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In view of the fact that the canvas 22 forming the body supportingstructure and the rings 18 and 19 are formed from flexible material, thestructure can be easily collapsed into the form shown in FIG. 2 for easystorage or shipment.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a modification of the chair shown in FIGS. 1and 2 wherein the structure is generally the same as in FIGS. 1 and 2,except that the frame is formed by T-shaped members 25, 26, 27 and 28.The legs a, 26a, 27a and 28a of the T-shaped members 25, 26, 27 and 28are pivotally mounted in a fulcrum structure 30. The pins 31 pivotallyconnect the T-shaped members to structure in a common plane such thatwhen the structure of FIG. 3 is collapsed the T-shaped members lie oneabove the other in parallel planes as shown in FIG. 4.

The cross members 25b, 26b, 27b and 28b form the corner edges of thepolygon forming the chair structure in the same manner as the bights ofthe U-shaped members of FIGS. 1 and 2. The straps 18 and 19 of FIGS. 3and 4 are the same as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and function accordingly.The body supporting canvas 22 has its rod 23 suitably fastened by cords32 to the fulcrum structure 30 for forming the canvas 22'into thedesired shape.

FIGS. 5 and 6 disclose a lounge type chair 35 comprising a generallyrectangularly shaped floor engaging base as having pivotally mounted onpins 37 extending through base 36 the ends of legs 38a and 38b of aU-shaped member 33. Member 38 forms the back support of the lounge. Apair of U-shaped members 40 and 41 have their legs 40a, 40b and 41a, 41bpivotally mounted on pins 42, 43 extending through base 36 on differentsides thereof at the foot end of the lounge. A flexible body supportingmember such as, for example, canvas 44 is fixedly secured to the bights38c of U-shaped member 38, bight 41c of U-shaped member 41 and bight 400of U-shaped member 40 to support the canvas in body supporting position.

A suitable flexible detachably mounted supporting means 32 is arrangedto extend between bight 38c and the end mernber 3'6a of base 36. Asimilar flexible detachably mounted supporting means 33 is arranged toextend between bight 46c of U-shaped member 40 and end 36b of base 36. Arod is fastened to and arranged to extend transversely across canvas 44at that line where the back portion 44a and the seat portion 44b ofcanvas 44 meet. Rod 45 at each end is fastened to pivot 37 by suitablemeans such as flexible cords 47. As shown in FIG. 5, the pivotallymounted U-shaped members are fulcrumed within the periphery ofthepolygonal type structure formed by the U-shaped frame members and thebase.

In this embodiment of the invention the flexible means extending aroundat least a part of the periphery of the chair to form a polygonaltension type structure comprises the canvas 44 individually and incombination withthe detachably mounted supporting means 32 and 33. T 0extend and hold the lounge chair in its body supporting position,supporting means 32 and 33 need merely to be attached to ends 36a and36b, respectively, of base 36. To collapse the lounge, chair supportingmeans 32 and 33 are merely released from the ends of base 36 and theU-shaped members 38, 4t) and 41 rotated to their positions shown in FIG.6.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a further modification of the structures'shownin FIGS. 1-6 wherein a cot structure 50 is shown comprising a frameformed from a plurality of U-shaped members 51, 52, 53, 54 and pivotallyattached at their leg ends by a pin '56 extending there'between. Asuitable body supporting means such as a canvas 58 is fastened to andarranged between bights 51a and 52a of U-shaped members 51 and 52.

A suitable flexible strap means 60 is fastened to bight 51a of U-shapedmember 51 and is arranged to extend to and is fastened at apredetermined point to the bight 53a of U-shaped member 53. Strap means60 further extends from bight 53a to and is clamped on the bight 55a bya suitable clamping means 61. A flexible strap means 62 is fastened tobight 52a of U-shaped member 52 and extends to and is fastened on thebight 54a of U-shaped member 54. Strap means 61 further extends frombight 54a to and is clamped on bight 55a of -U-shaped member 55 byclamping means 61.

When in the extended body supporting position the bights 53a, 55a and54a form the floor supports for the cot. The bights 51a, 52a, 53a and54a form the corner edges of the polygonal tension type cot structure.The straps 6t) and 62 together with the canvas 58 form a flexible meansaround'the complete periphery of the polygonal structure to hold theU-shaped members in place. By merely releasing the strap means 60 and 62the cot may be collapsed into the position shown in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8all of the U-shaped members are arranged flat in a single line or commonplane structure.

Although but a few embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in theart that various changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. Furniture of the polygonal type comprising a collapsible supportingframe, said frame comprising a plu rality of pivotally mounted framemembers movable to extended position to form the corners of a polygon,two of said frame members when in their extended position defining aseat and back rest within the outline of said polygon, and flexiblemeans extending along the periphery of said polygon for detachablyconnecting to said frame at one of the corners of said polygon forforming a polygonal tension type structure, said flexible meansbeing'securely fastened to each of said frame members and said meanswhen released from said one of said corners causing said frame tocollapse.

2. A chair or the like comprising a collapsible supporting frame, saidframe comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted frame members movableto extended position to form the corners of a polygon, said membersbeing fulcrumed within the periphery of said polygon, two of said framemembers When in their extended position defining a seat and back restforming an acute angle within the outline of said polygon, and flexiblemeans extending along at least a part of the periphery of said polygonfor interconnecting the corners of said frame members to form apolygonal tension type structure, said flexible means being securelyfastened to each of said frame members.

3. A chair or the like comprising 'a collapsible supporting frame, saidframe comprising a plurality-of pivotally mounted frame members movableto extended position to form the corners of a polygon, said membersbeing fulcrumed within the periphery of said polygon, two of said framemembers when in their extended position defining a seat and back restforming an acute angle within the outline of said polygon, and flexiblemeans extending along at least a part of the periphery of said polygonfor interconnecting the corners of said frame members to form apolygonal tension type structure, said frame when collapsed folding intoa flat structure, said flexible means being securely fastened to each ofsaid frame members.

' 4. A chair or the'like comprising a collapsible supporting frame,'saidframe comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted frame members movableto extended position to form the corners .of a polygon, said membersbeing fulcrumed within the periphery of said polygon, two of said framemembers when in their extended position defining a seat and back restforming an acute angle within the outline of said polygon, and flexiblestrap type means interconnecting the corners of said frame members alongthe periphery of said polygon for forming a polygonal tension typestructure, said means being detachably connected to one corner of saidframe causing said polygon formed by said frame to collapse whenreleased therefrom, said flexible means being securely fastened to eachof said frame members.

5. A chair or the like comprising a collapsible supporting frame, saidframe comprising a plurality of T-shaped pivotally mounted frame membersmovable to extended position to form the corners of a polygon, the legsof said T-shaped members being fulcrumed Within the periphery of apolygon and two of said frame members when in their extended positiondefining a seat and back rest within the outline of said polygon, thecross members of said T-shaped members when moved to frame extendedposition forming the corner edges of the polygon, and flexible straptype means extending along the periphery of said polygon for detachablyinterconnecting the corners of said frame members for forming apolygonal tension type structure, said means being detachably connectedto one corner of said frame for causing said polygon formed by saidframe to collapse when released therefrom.

6. Furniture of the polygonal type comprising a collapsible supportingframe, said frame comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted framemembers movable to extended position to form the corner edges of apolygon, said frame members being fulcrumed within the periphery of saidpolygon and when in their extended position defining a seat and backrest forming an acute angle Within the outline of said polygon, and twoof said frame members tension means interconnecting the corners of saidframe members for forming a polygonal type structure,

said tension means comprising a plurality of tension members eachinterconnecting different frame members and attached thereto, one ofsaid tension members being releasably connected to a frame member so asto cause said frame to collapse upon release therefrom.

7. A chair or the like comprising a collapsible supporting frame, saidframe comprising a plurality of U-shaped pivotally mounted framemembers, the legs of said U-shaped members being fulcrumed on a commonaxis within the periphery of a polygon, the bight of said U-shapedmembers when moved to frame extended position forming the corner edgesof the polygon, two of said frame members when in their extendedposition defining a seat and back rest, and flexible strap type meansinterconnecting the corners of all said frame members along theperiphery of said polygon for forming a polygonal tension typestructure, said strap means forming acute angles with said seat and backrest defining members in their extended position and said means beingdetachably connected to one corner of said frame causing said polygonformed by said frame to collapse when released therefrom.

8. The combination according to claim 5 wherein the legs of saidT-shaped members are fulcrumed in a common plane Within the periphery ofsaid polygon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS244,216 Fenby July 12, 1881 2,226,606 Giles Dec. 31, 1940 2,811,977McClish Nov. 5, 1957 3,034,523 De Shano May 15, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS111,098 Switzerland July 16, 1925 846,155 Germany Aug. 11, 1952 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3 l23 395March 3 1964 Henry P, Glass It is hereby certified that error appears inthe above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said LettersPatent should read as corrected below Column 5 lines 34 to 37 strike out"and when in their extended position defining a seat and back restforming an acute angle within the outline of said polygon and two ofsaid frame members" and insert instead and two of said frame memberswhen in their extended position defining a seat and back rest forming anacute angle within the outline of said polygon Signed and sealed this10th day of November 1964La SEAL) inest:

:RNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER nesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. FURNITURE OF THE POLYGONAL TYPE COMPRISING A COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORTINGFRAME, SAID FRAME COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FRAMEMEMBERS MOVABLE TO EXTENDED POSITION TO FORM THE CORNERS OF A POLYGON,TWO OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS WHEN IN THEIR EXTENDED POSITION DEFINING ASEAT AND BACK REST WITHIN THE OUTLINE OF SAID POLYGON, AND FLEXIBLEMEANS EXTENDING ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF SAID POLYGON FOR DETACHABLYCONNECTING TO SAID FRAME AT ONE OF THE CORNERS OF SAID POLYGON FORFORMING A POLYGONAL TENSION TYPE STRUCTURE, SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS BEINGSECURELY FASTENED TO EACH OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS AND SAID MEANS WHENRELEASED FROM SAID ONE OF SAID CORNERS CAUSING SAID FRAME TO COLLAPSE.